Light Night 2021: LUX at The Bombed Out Church

For LightNight 2021, Focal Studios, DefProc Engineering, Urban Workbench, St Luke’s Church and Everyman & Playhouse Theatres are partnering up to create an original, interactive projection-mapped game called LUX in the ‘Bombed Out Church’.

LUX is an immersive augmented reality game and art installation that responds to the theme of ‘Play’ by giving LightNight visitors the chance to interact with one of the city’s most iconic cultural venues through multi-sensory play.

Inside a futuristic control pod inspired by classic 80s sci-fi and retro-futuristic games, players will use contactless gesture controls to play with a wondrous virtual machine integrated into the architecture of St Luke’s tower, seeing the building come alive with light and energy as they progress. Racing against the clock, LUX will challenge players to apply creative problem solving skills in response to a dynamic environment, seeing how even mistakes and failure can lead to discovery and wonder. Each interaction with the projected visuals will reward the player with entrancing multi-sensory feedback through light, wind and bass generators inside the pod, offering a truly unique experience where they become the artist, controller and performer for the gathered audience.

This fully accessible and larger-than-life experience will leave a lasting impact on audiences and make users examine the role of immersive and augmented reality gaming in the physical world.

LUX is not to be missed as player slots and audience seating will be limited!

WARNING: This installation may potentially trigger seizures for people with photosensitive epilepsy. Viewer discretion is advised.

Accessibility

Wheelchair access, intuitive controls and haptic feedback are at the heart of the design, helping to make the game accessible and encouraging even those without experience in computer gaming to become playfully involved. DefProc specialise in making multi-sensory accessible work and have used movement based sensors to allow hands-free control over the gameplay, reducing the surfaces that require cleaning between participants for COVID safety.

Booking information and schedule

***BOOKING IS REQUIRED*** So that attendee numbers can be managed and to ensure social distancing is in place, we will require all players to book a time slot in advance in order to stagger arrivals. You will be required to sign in using the NHS Track and Trace app upon entry to the grounds.

**Please enter the church grounds from Leece Street.**

Upon arrival, please go to the ticket desk by the main gates of the site. Players will be directed to the waiting area and spectators will be directed to the arena.

Spectator numbers are limited to 130 seated guests inside the church. You can turn up on the night at any time but may be required to queue.

LUX is a 2 player game and therefore participants should attend in groups of 2. However, families can stand and watch the 2 players in a group of up to 6. You can alternate your turn on the controls with a family or bubble member, but this may affect the gaming experience.

Group and player requirements are as follows:

● You must wear a mask or face covering

● 2 player participants in the same bubble

● 2 players with 4 members of the same household or bubble spectating

Time slots will be 5 minutes in duration and will run every 5 minutes from 8pm until midnight.

Please arrive 10 minutes before your slot. Prompt entry and exit of the pod is advisable where possible. If you require any additional assistance using the disabled ramp, please communicate this beforehand with a steward.

Once you have signed up for this event, please read the confirmation email carefully as it highlights what COVID-19 safety measures will be in place during the event.

About LightNight

This event is part of LightNight, Liverpool’s free one-night arts festival. LightNight invites audiences to stay up late, as our museums, galleries and studios throw open their doors to stage a free trail of special events for all ages, exploring the theme of Play. Over 100 special events will take place in-person and online including hands-on workshops, exhibitions, tours, talks, installations and much more. Produced by local social enterprise Open Culture, this year’s festival explores how Play can offer a space to create, re-imagine and find novel solutions to global problems. For more information visit lightnightliverpool.co.uk.

About each partner

Focal Studios - www.focalstudios.co.uk

Founded in 2019 with the aim of combining our expertise in creative media, technology and visual storytelling, Focal Studios is a multidisciplinary Creative Studio specialising in projection mapping, video production, web design and branding.

As a team we are committed to making an impact through our work within the creative industry, B Corporations, the third sector, and organisations with a strong pro-social ethos.

We use a holistic design approach to help artists, organisations and venues to develop their digital presence, create new works and use technology to turn their ideas into reality.

DefProc Engineering - www.defproc.co.uk

DefProc Engineering is a design engineering company that specialises in product development, small scale manufacturing and technical support. We offer skilled support for design, proof of concept, prototyping, and producing scalable products from an early stage. We work across a range of sectors including culture and creative industries.

With 10 years experience of working with galleries, museums and public events to create interactive exhibits. Our clients include The Science Museum Group (National Science and Media Museum, Bradford; Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester), The National Football Museum Manchester, FACT Liverpool and Liverpool Central Library.

St Luke’s “Bombed Out Church” - www.bombedoutchurch.com/

Set in the heart of the city, it has remained one of Liverpool's most stunning venues, host to a wide range of music, arts and culture across the years, famously with its roof missing. They now have a fantastic garden bar with food from Turncoat Pizza, operate in a covid-safe setup and play host to amazing cultural events. Focal Studios are partnered with St Luke’s providing projection and event services throughout their cultural calendar.

Urban Workbench CIC - urbanworkbench.org/

Urban Workbench is a Nomadic Learning Hub created for individuals and communities to share DIY and construction/manufacturing knowledge and resources. They have agreed to assist with the manufacturer & shaping of materials for the control pod.

Everyman Playhouse Theatres - www.everymanplayhouse.com/

Our mission is to use the power of theatre to inspire, entertain and nurture positive social change. In our theatres, communities, schools and outside Liverpool – we hope to ignite the imagination and explore what it is to be human.

Across both venues we create and receive forward thinking theatre chosen especially for you. Our award-winning youth arts programme, Young Everyman Playhouse (YEP), is integrated into every aspect of our work and includes traineeships in producing, technical theatre, directing and acting.